Here's what we learned in Arizona high school football, Sept. 17-18

There were bounce backs, wild finishes, big plays, more blowouts and revenge, as Arizona high school football teams made statements in games played on Sept. 17-18.

The Arizona Republic rewinds the week and looks ahead as the season drama takes big turns.

What we learned. Basha isn't going anywhere

There is no quit in Chandler Basha , which entered the season No. 1, drawing plenty of accolades before losing two straight games for the first time since 2020. Eight starters were injured, contributing to that skid. But the Bears (2-2) showed up in an impressive 30-22 win over No. 2-ranked Peoria Liberty (3-1) on Sept. 18, proving their season is far from over. If the Bears get healthy, this team is going to be tough to stop.

The defense turned up the heat with a big hit from Barry Adams, which popped the ball loose from quarterback Jason Haines and led to Taylan Patterson scooping it up and running 38 yards for a third-quarter touchdown that gave the Bears a 24-14 lead. The game turned in Basha's favor, as Haines and company had no answers until the final few minutes. By then, it was too late.

It was a master class coaching job by Chris McDonald to get these guys up for what had become their biggest game of the year. The banged-up secondary featured two freshmen and a sophomore. And quarterback Jake Rogers, who had a 22-yard scoring run, was playing most of the final three quarters with a banged-up shoulder.

It was no surprise that Scottsdale Saguaro lost to Glendale Mountain Ridge and former top Saguaro assistant coach Andrew Johnson on Friday, Sept. 18. But Saguaro returning to the field since losing to Scottsdale Desert Mountain in the Aug. 28 opener was big enough for the Sabercats, which had to cancel two games due to injuries on an already depleted roster. This once-dominant program is rising back from the ashes and the small step it took, albeit a 45-6 loss, was significant. Coach Butch Goncharoff made clear after the game the team will play this out and learn some valuable life lessons along the way.

ALA Gilbert North coach Ty Detmer has done a tremendous job since taking over the Eagles' program two years ago. He doesn't have many star players like Goodyear Desert Edge, but his No. 4 Eagles (Republic's 5A rankings) pulled off maybe the stunner of the week with a 33-30 win over the host and No. 1 Scorpions on Friday, Sept. 18.

The Eagles drove down the field, before Ben Livingston hit Cam Shepard for a 5-yard score with about six minutes to play that was the difference. The defense came through with a fourth-and-short stop and the Eagles ran out the clock with a couple of first downs. "Our boys played with great effort all night," Detmer said. "Didn't flinch when things went wrong, and answered every time we got down. Proud of their effort and resilience."

The 5A Conference is showing some parity with No. 2 Scottsdale Desert Mountain and Goodyear Millennium both in the mix, along with Desert Edge, ALA Gilbert North and Horizon in the chase for the gold ball in December. Desert Mountain (4-0), which has outscored its opponents 223-14 with three shutouts, faces Horizon (4-0) on Oct. 23. Desert Edge and Millennium meet on Oct. 30.

This might have to go to Phoenix Maryvale with its 30-24 win over a good Mesa Eastmark team. Miles Woods had three touchdowns, two on offense and one on defense. Eastmark was ranked No. 3 in 4A by MaxPreps/AIA. Maryvale was ranked 22nd. This win came a week after Gilbert Mesquite rallied to beat Maryvale 30-28, the only loss by the 3-1 Panthers. The Carter twins — Marcus and Mark — have done a great job in their two years as co-head coaches. Their home game Sept. 25 against San Tan Valley Combs (3-1) will be another chance for the Panthers to show they're deserving of a 4A state playoff spot.

Phoenix Brophy Prep built a 28-12 lead in the first half, only to see Mesa Mountain View take control of the second half and score on two long, time-consuming drives and convert two-point plays to tie it at 28 with about four minutes to play. But the Broncos wouldn't let down in the end, as Ryder Noche returned a kickoff to midfield, before the Broncos drove down to set up a last-second, 18-yard field goal by Jack Carson. "Give Mountain View a ton of credit," Brophy coach Jason Jewell said. "They held the ball in the second half and went on two long drives that ate up most of the entire second half." This sets up a huge game for the Broncos (3-1) against 3-1 Chandler on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Phoenix Central.

Eagar Round Valley exacted revenge in a 56-0 rout of Lakeside Blue Ridge in a 3A football game. Last year, Round Valley's only loss on its way to the 3A gold ball came against Blue Ridge. This was the season debut of star running back Brody Crick, who had one touch, which ended up going for a 22-yard scoring pass play. Round Valley improved to 5-0 with a big game Sept. 24 at 4-1 Payson, which was stunned by Joe Germaine's ALA Mesa North team, 26-14, on Sept. 18.

Horizon super soph Dylan Brush ran for more than 407 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-36 5A win over Phoenix Sunnyslope. Brush has 17 rushing TDs in the Huskies' 4-0 start.

Chandler Lincoln Prep rolled to a 54-0 rout of Tucson Catalina, as sophomore running back Josh Morris ran eight times for 134 yards and a touchdown. He also had two pancake blocks that sprung two punt returns for touchdowns.

Peoria Centennial (4-0) relied on its gritty defense for the second week in a row to beat a good Mesa team, 20-7, as defensive end/linebacker Luke Franklin had nine tackles and two sacks and Michael Ware and JoJo Gonzalez both had interceptions. Torrin Hill caught seven passes for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.

Phoenix Arcadia sophomore quarterback Carter Lampe had the biggest game of his young career with 319 yards and four touchdowns passing in a 45-9 win over Glendale Deer Valley. He completed 10 of 12 passes.

Gilbert Higley turned in its best defensive effort in a 36-0 6A win over Gilbert Highland, as Dax White had nine tackles and Nasim Eason intercepted a pass. Quarterback Anthony Palka ran for 104 yards and passed for 177 yards and two TDs.

Glendale Ironwood coach Tony Stilling had high praise for his offensive line after a 29-20 win over Glendale Raymond S Kellis. The line paved the way for 389 rushing yards on 46 carries, as 10 players ran the ball, including two — Ramsey Pyne and Edison Unger — who had more than 100 yards. The line was anchored by right guard Jaxson Jauregui. "Our line as a whole was the main reason that we racked up 389 rushing yards," Stillings said.

Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor, under second-year coach Ben Kullos, is on the rise after successive wins over Mesa Red Mountain (45-35) and Tucson Salpointe Catholic (36-7). The Eagles are 3-1, with the only loss coming on a walk-off 47-yard field goal in a 31-28 setback to Mesa.

Three-time defending 1A champion Winkelman Hayden extended its winning streak to 41 games with a 57-6 rout of Superior. It's the state's longest active winning streak.

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now . And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert